Winter Olympics 2022: 'He’s taken the wrong course!' – Jarl Magnus Riiber throws away gold with shocking error

Jarl Magnus Riiber threw away an enormous lead in the men’s Nordic combined at Beijing 2022 after accidentally taking a wrong turn. The Norwegian, who was unable to learn the course after being stuck in isolation with Covid, leaked 35 seconds as he tried to salvage his race in the individual large hill/10km cross-country – an error that almost certainly cost him a medal, probably gold. Ad/> After completing the first of four 2.5km circuits, Riiber headed down the finish chute on the outside rather than taking the inside path onto the second lap.

Beijing 2022Riiber takes wrong turn to miss out on medal as Graabak takes goldAN HOUR AGO “Oh now… Riiber has missed the durchgang [German for ‘passage’]. He was going down the finish chute instead of going out on the durchgang, so he’s taken the wrong course!” said David Goldstrom on Eurosport commentary. Although the correct route was across a small barrier – an easy hop away but a potential disqualification – Riiber turned around and made his way back to the crossroads.

By the time he was back on track, his lead had been cut from 45 seconds to barely 10. “That’s so uncharacteristic but also that might be the fact that he’s been stuck in the hotel, he hasn’t been able to train, his familiarity of the course isn’t so good,” continued Goldstrom. “And now out of his left eye, he will court what is coming behind him.” What will have caught his attention was a four-strong chase group, led by Japan’s Akito Watabe, who were eating up the snow behind him.

From that moment on, Riiber’s challenge faded. He eventually finished in eighth, 39.8s down on compatriot Joergen Graabak, who had roared through for gold despite starting 2:07 adrift after placing 12th in the ski jump. The Nordic